Don't Let Me
by Mewlon
Summary: Reposted. After the battle at Ostrheinburg, Siegfried reverts back as himself. However, being stuck as Nightmare turned him cold. Only one person will try to open him up. Link x Sieg yaoi!
1. Chapter 1

_Hi! I'm finally doing a Soul Calibur fic. It's hard to find any good Nightmare/Siegfried x Link fics out there so I decided to make my own. Anyway, yes, this is a shounen-ai/yaoi fic. Those that don't like both please don't flame and go back now. If you do like yaoi and you do like this couple, stay and read this please. Ratings might go up, just to warn you._

_I don't know anything Soul Calibur or Nintendo wise. I love Nobuyuki Hiyama and he's good at making both Link and Siegfried's voices. _

_I'd like to thank my friend, Minna Kinotome for beta reading and helping me with the title of this story._

_Oh btw….the time is post SC2 and pre SC3, just to tell you ahead._

**Don't Let Me**

**Chapter One: Battle at Ostrheinburg**

Ostrheinburg…there it had stood by a lone hill. The chapel stood isolated from the world, as if time itself stopped for that chapel. Parts of the chapel were crumbling down from the countless of battles and ages it stood without being occupied. A lone figure began to walk towards the old chapel. The wind blew gently against the brown cape that covered the silhouette's body.

The long blades of grass danced along with the wind. The figure walked through the soft field and approached the chapel. Placing a gloved hand, the figure opened the rather large chapel doors. Before the shadow entered the chapel, the figure stopped. Distant yells and battle cries were heard. _They're coming this way, _thought the figure as it walked inside and closed the doors. Taking a rather large beam of wood, the figure placed it upon the door block.

Once the figure was finished blocking the door the figure slid to the ground and let out a sigh. Just then a soft voice caught the silhouette's attention. The figure removed its brown hood to reveal a soft boyish face. A young man with strawberry blonde hair and lovely cerulean eyes perked up his unusual pointy ears.

_What is that sound? _Thought the elf, _it sounds like someone is chanting or praying in that strange language I sort of picked up. I don't like it that much, but if it's the only way to communicate with these strange people, one must do what one must do. _The elfin boy took off his brown coat and slowly got up from the floor.

His green tunic brushed a bit above his knees. Underneath his tunic was a pair of white long johns. His brown boots touched the stony floor as he began to walk across the chapel. He stopped when he saw a strange silhouette. He quickly hid behind a dirty wooden bench and perked his head up. He looked through a broken bench and saw a blonde man dressed in a red noble dress shirt and brown pants. Upon his side was a rapier.

_This man is a warrior, _thought the blonde elfin man, _I can feel it. _The noble man glared as he looked up at the second floor. The stairs that lead to the second floor were destroyed. He looked over at what appeared to be a rather large and rather old organ. The nobleman placed a gloved hand into his britches and pulled out a metallic fragment. The fragment began to glow immensely.

The blonde elfin man's tunic began to glow as well. He quickly placed his hand into his tunic and pulled out a similar metallic fragment. _This piece of Soul Edge is glowing along with that man's piece, _he thought. _He must be looking for Soul Edge as well, but whether he wants to purify, destroy it, or use it is a totally different scenario. Could the voice from above be someone who has a fragment too?_

"He's here," said the blonde nobleman, "and I'll make sure that he would give me what should belong to me. Soul Edge will soon be mine."

The blonde nobleman began to climb up the pipes. He soon jumped from pipe to pipe until he reached the second floor. The blonde elfin man quickly got out of hiding and began to rush through the chapel. He quickly climbed up the pipes and followed the same path. Once he reached up to the second floor he could see two men. One of them was the blonde nobleman and the other was something the elfin man couldn't figure out.

The second man was covered in a dark armor. Upon his left hand, he carried an overly large sword that had a large eye with veins. _That must be Soul Edge! _Thought the elfin man. _If that is Soul Edge, is that man who's holding it the one they call Nightmare? _

The elfin man's cerulean eyes trailed down at Nightmare's right arm. It was a grotesque sight to see. He shivered a bit as his eyes soon shifted to the glowing yellow eyes that pierced through the small opening of the helmet. The Soul Edge's eyes blinked a bit as the blonde nobleman took out his rapier and pointed at Nightmare.

"Heh, there you are," said the nobleman, "the one they call Nightmare. I came here to take Soul Edge from you."

"Heh, you dare to fight me?" asked Nightmare, "Your soul burns quite vibrantly. It will be good to my collection! I need more souls to feed Soul Edge."

"Well now…remember this and remember this well, I, Raphael Sorel shall be the end of you."

Just then, the elfin boy jumped from the pipe and headed towards the two men. _I have to stop this fight, _thought the man. He walked over to the one called Raphael and was about to place a hand upon his shoulder when suddenly, Raphael turned around and swung his rapier. The elfin boy jumped back quickly and back flipped as Raphael kept trying to attack Link. Raphael stopped and pointed his rapier at the elfin boy.

"You have been following me," spoke the nobleman, "and I know you have a piece of Soul Edge as well."

"What do you want to do with Soul Edge?" asked the elfin boy.

"What I would do with it isn't your concern."

"I don't trust you," said the elfin man as he took out his sword of his sheath and shield. "Whatever you are to do with Soul Edge I can't allow. I was sent here by Princess Zelda to destroy that sword. It is a threat to my world as well and as the Hero of Time I have to protect Hyrule. With the Master Sword, I, Link, shall fight until my last breath to protect my world."

"You do know what you're getting yourself into?" chided Raphael. "Just because you're only a boy, I won't let you off easy. Once you pick a fight with me, you filthy beast, there is no turning back."

"I don't mind. I fought people worse then you, though you happen to be the cockiest and meanest of all."

"You are quite the rude one, but anyway, let us dance," laughed Raphael as he then turned back to Nightmare. "When I'm done with this boy, I'll come after you."

Raphael ran towards Link and swung his rapier with incredible speed. Link used his Hylian shield to block the upcoming slashes and then swung the Master Sword. Raphael laughed as he moved out of the way, as if he were dancing, and slashed at Link's side. The rapier sliced through Link's green tunic and white undershirt. Blood trickled down and stained his clothing as the cut had opened part of his skin. Link winced at the attack but rolled out of the way before Raphael could stab him.

Link quickly took out his bow and arrow and shot at the blonde nobleman. The arrow zipped through the air and pierced right through Raphael's left sleeve. Unfortunate for Link, the arrow missed Raphael's arm. The nobleman took out the arrow and looked at his clothing. He gave off a snarl as Link had ruined his favorite shirt. He rushed over at Link and began to swing his rapier rapidly. Link flipped over and over to avoid the attack.

Link jumped and ducked away from the assault. A sneaky idea crossed his path as he grabbed Raphael and jumped upon to his shoulder. Raphael tried hard to retain his balance as a weight was set upon his shoulders. Link smirked as he moved the Master Sword and spanked Raphael's bottom. The nobleman's eyes widen and soon winced as he felt the hard metal hit him hard.

Link did that a couple of times before he used his own weight to flip both him and Raphael over. Link then rolled and kicked Raphael off from him before he quickly got up from the floor and grinned. Raphael slowly got up and glared at Link. The nobleman was not pleased with what the elfin boy did to him. He saw that Link was standing right before the edge. A devious idea come to him as he took up his rapier and ran towards Link.

Link readied for his attack and rushed towards him. He swung the Master Sword. The next movement, Raphael had to be quick to do. The nobleman slid underneath Link and his swing. He then got up and stabbed the elfin boy upon his shoulder. Link let out a yell of pain as blood fell from his shoulder. Raphael smirked at Link's painful yells.

"I told you I wasn't going to take it easy on you, just because you're just a child," whispered Raphael into Link's ear.

"Damn it…" hissed Link.

Raphael then moved his blade and slid off Link from the rapier and threw him over the edge. Link fell down and landed upon one of the benches. Upon impact, the bench broke and shattered. A couple of splinters pierced into Link's skin. The Hylian hero tried to hold in the yell of pain he felt rising in his throat. A tear slid off from his eye. Link slowly rolled over onto his stomach. His hand landed upon a sharp piece of wood. Link withstood the pain as he got up from the painful pile of wood.

Link began to carefully take out the splinters from his body. Link winced as he took out the one that was wedged into his hand. Just then, the front door which he had blocked early was being pounded. Link could hear quite an amount of voices. Link began to walk but soon fell. His right leg was rather injured and it hurt to walk. Link got up once more and placed his hands upon the other benches, using them as a cane or something to hold on to. He limped as he headed towards the door.

He stopped when he saw a broken window. From one of the large cracks of the window, he could see the outside. He saw a whole group of people and every single one of them were busy yelling at each other and some even began to fight using weapons. Link's Soul Edge fragment glowed even more then before. _These people must be after Soul Edge as well, _thought Link.

Meanwhile, on the second floor, Raphael wiped the blood from his rapier. He chuckled a bit as he readied himself to fight Nightmare. Nightmare held his sword upright and waited for Raphael to attack. The nobleman rushed in and swung his rapier at Nightmare. Due to Nightmare's armor, the rapier couldn't so much as dent the armor. Raphael sliced at Nightmare's ghoulish arm. Nightmare let out a screech as it was his turn to attack. He swung the Soul Edge at the nobleman and slashed his left arm.

Raphael let out a yell as blood fell from his injured limb, but he shook it off and continued to attack Nightmare. Nightmare growled as he let his blade drop down on Raphael. Raphael dodged out of the way, but got his leg hurt by the swing. He snarled as he got up and attacked at Nightmare's claw again. Nightmare moved slightly then swung his sword right across Raphael's chest.

The Frenchman was sent flying by the swing. He let out a yell of pain as he covered his chest. He tried to stop the bleeding. Raphael tried to speak but only managed to cough out blood. He looked over at Nightmare walked over to him and chuckled darkly. He lifted Soul Edge over his head and sent it down at the Frenchman.

"This is it!" shouted Nightmare.

_Stop! _Shouted a voice from inside of Nightmare's head. _Enough! Enough of this! I won't allow you to kill another! _Nightmare stopped and stood bewildered as was Raphael. The nobleman looked at his opponent as he stood there confused. _What's wrong with this monster? _asked Raphael. _He has me where he wants me, so why is he hesitating? _

"Who said that?" asked Nightmare.

"_The one who owns this body," _called back the voice, "_Siegfried."_

"Heh, you're the pathetic human who released me. Well, this body isn't yours anymore! It's mine entirely. You should have been dead by now."

"_You may have taken over my body, but you have not taken over my will! I still linger in this body and enough is enough! I won't let you kill another and let me soil my hands because of you!" _

"You're too weak to get your body back now, Siegfried! I will forever stay in this strong body and you will linger and die off!"

Just as Nightmare was about to turn his attention back to Raphael, a strange pain arose in his head. Nightmare let out a horrifying shriek which not only frightened Raphael, but also the people outside of the chapel. Everyone stood frozen as they heard the screeches intensify. Nightmare placed his hands upon his head and stepped back. Raphael slowly placed his hand upon his rapier and stabbed Nightmare upon the only part that wasn't covered: his stomach.

Nightmare let out a yell as he pushed Raphael off. In that moment, Nightmare took off his armor. He let out a yell as he took the rapier off from his stomach. Just then Soul Edge let out a terrifying shriek. The chapel began to shake terribly. The beam that held the door closed broke as a rock fell upon the wood. The doors opened and there, Link could see the group of people before him. Everyone didn't know what to do.

A young woman with ebony hair that was tied into pigtails rushed in towards Link. Her shoes broke a piece of wood which gave off a loud clicking sound. She placed a hand on Link's side. She looked over at Link and looked at him with concern in her eyes. Following the girl came in other men and women. A young man with red hair wearing a white tight shirt and matching pants helped the young woman take Link towards the exit.

"No," let out Link, "we have to go up. Soul Edge…"

"Soul Edge?" let out the young man.

"That evil sword is up there," the girl said softly, "we have to go. This place will come down on us."

"No…can't you feel it? asked Link.

The young woman stopped in her tracks. Wind came from the outside of the chapel and touched her tanned skin. Her soft eyes widened as she could feel an enormous power. She knew that something bad was about to happen. She could feel the fires as a new evil began to emerge. The girl began to pull Link towards the pipes.

The young red haired man stood stupefied, but one look from the girl assured him that she knew what she was doing. The rest of the group began to follow them towards the pipes. They all climbed up the pipes and jumped to the second floor. The entire world became black for the warriors as everything around them disappeared. A dark void opened and soon came out a being of fire.

Upon the ground was a hurt Raphael. The nobleman just looked over at the being of fire and then looked over at Nightmare. The person he saw before him was different than before. He still had the claw on his right arm, but now he could see more of him as a human, his long, blond hair flowing beautifully as a breeze blew though a hole in the wall of the chapel.

A rather large scar danced upon his right eye. The man's eyes were a bright yellow from before, but were starting to flicker into a light blue color. Scars covered his body and veins were popping out from where the arm was. Taking the cursed sword, Nightmare fought against the being of fire.

Everyone else looked on at the battle. It wasn't long until the monster known as Inferno was defeated with a stroke from Soul Edge. A strange weapon came out from Inferno's body and landed near Nightmare. Soon, the world before every warrior changed back towards the chapel. It happened as fast as it came and everyone stood baffled.

"What happened?" asked the young woman with black hair.

"I don't know," replied the red haired man.

"There's Soul Edge…I have to purify that sword!"

"No way! That sword is the sword of Salvation! My people need that sword to protect ourselves."

"There is no way a punk like you would take that," spoke a samurai, "I'm here to take it myself."

"Fool!" shouted a ninja. "You could never use that sword!"

"Silence!" shouted Nightmare/Siegfried as he glared at all of them. "None of you know what terrors come from that sword! I was once trapped as a fiendish monster! This is what happens when mess with this power!" Nightmare/Siegfried showed everyone his clawed hand.

No one knew what to say to him.

"That sword next to Soul Edge is the only one that can end this."

Nightmare/Siegfried walked over to the Soul Calibur and placed his clawed hand on it. As he placed his hand upon it, a strong surge shocked his entire body. He shouted in tremendous pain as he tried to take the sword out from the ground. His clawed hand began to bleed as he held on to the sword. In his one last attempted, he pulled out the sword from the ground.

The blond man lifted the sword up and slammed it down upon Soul Edge's eye. The Soul Edge let out a horrible scream which echoed throughout the chapel. Blood dripped from the eye and stained the stony ground. The veins from the Soul Edge soon began to entwine themselves with the Soul Calibur. A strong surge of power rushed through Nightmare/Siegfried's body.

The clawed arm began to demolish and revert back to a human arm. The once piercing yellow eyes turned back into icy blue eyes. The veins that were around his chest had disappeared. He released his hold on the sword and fell on the ground. Soul Edge consumed the remaining power he had of Nightmare that was in Siegfried's body and consumed the Soul Calibur. The two swords soon fused into one large sword. The dark power was still inside of the sword, but this time it was locked.

"We have to help him," said Link weakly.

"Are you kidding?" asked the red haired man. "This guy killed I don't know how many people. How can we help this guy?"

"He isn't Nightmare anymore, Yun-seong," replied the ebony haired girl, "now he's just a human."

"How can you tell, Talim?"

"I can feel it in the wind. The dark energy isn't emitting from his body anymore but from the sword now.The man is hurt and we have to help him as well."

"Okay, but we need someone else to help us carry him. We all ready have this elf guy with us."

"Can someone please help us?" asked Talim to the other people.

"I'm not getting near that guy," said the Taki.

"Sorry, but I'd rather not get anywhere near him," said a blonde woman carrying a sword and shield.

"Seung Mina?" asked Yun-seong.

"You know we have to go soon," replied Seung Mina.

"Yeah, but that guy is hurt and all."

Link gathered his strength and got out of Talim and Yun-seong's grasp. He walked as best as he could without limping, but didn't do so well. He reached over to the fallen Siegfried and got on his knees slowly. Taking his arm, Link wrapped it around his neck and tried to lift up the fallen warrior. Link thanked the Goddesses that he wasn't wearing his armor because even without it, he was rather heavy, at least since Link was hurt.

As Link tried to walk, his right leg gave out and he went falling on the ground. Link accidentally bit into his tongue when he fell down. He spat out some blood before he got on his knees and began to lift himself and Siegfried up again. Talim quickly rushed over to Link and Siegfried and took Siegfried's left side. Link smiled softly at Talim and mouthed a soft "thank you" to her. Talim returned the smile and mouthed a "you're welcome" to him.

Link and Talim slowly dragged Siegfried over to the pipes. Everyone else got out of their way and said nothing to them. Yun-seong wanted to follow them, but Seung Mina grabbed his shoulder and gave him a look. Yun-seong let out a sigh and stood there, only looking at their silhouettes as they slowly left the chapel.

The walk from the chapel and into the nearest town was hard for Hylian and the young girl. Link tripped twice on their way. Talim urged him to stop and take a rest but Link refused until they could find an inn and a healer. It took them about three hours to reach the nearest village. They rejoiced once they got into the inn. Talim paid the innkeeper for a room and lead both men to their room. She opened the door and walked into the room. Link and Talim placed Siegfried upon one of the beds and took a quick rest.

"Ow…" let out Link as he sat on the floor and clutched his side and right leg.

"I told you we should have taken a rest," said Talim. "You over did yourself."

"I'm okay, really. Anyway, thanks for helping me, but I don't even know your name. Was it Talim?"

"Yes, it is. I didn't get your name either."

"My name is Link."

"Link…that's a nice name. By the way, you have strange ears. You're not from here, are you?"

"No, I came from Hyrule which is in another world."

"Another world?" questioned Talim. "What do you mean by 'another world?'?"

"Easy…I come from another world. It's sort of hard to explain since I really don't have another word for it."

"If you come from another world, how is it that you can talk our language?"

"Oh, that I can easily explain. It took me a long time, months to be exact, until I caught on to your language. I often stood close by inns, pubs, and other sorts and listened to the conversations to some people. Of course it was hard to actually understand, but one of the innkeepers actually helped me a bit with the sorting out the words for sentences. I said things like 'cat walked to apple inn.' So it was pretty pathetic for me to actually say things."

"I'd say you did a good job," said Talim as she smiled.

"Thanks."

"So now that Soul Edge has been stopped what now?"

"Well…I would like to go home, but first I have to do something about this fragment."

"If you want, I can purify it for you. I set out to purify Soul Edge entirely."

"If you were sent out to purify Soul Edge, why did you just leave it alone with those people? Aren't you afraid that they'll try to do something with it?"

"Well," said Talim, "I came here to help you out. I'll go back to purify Soul Edge. I'm sure Yun-seong and Seung Mina are doing their best to protect Soul Edge from being taken into the wrong hands. Taki, Sophitia, and Cassandra want to destroy it. So the probabilities of it being taken are slim to none."

"Wow, you have quite some friends."

"Heh thanks. Anyway, I'll go get that healer, so stay right here. I think you should get on the other bed. The floor can be rather rough to sit on."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Talim smiled before she got up and walked out from the room. She closed the door and headed out from the pub to look for the local healer. Meanwhile, Link slowly rose up from the floor. He limped over to where Siegfried had been resting. Still unconscious, the German warrior had been breathing lightly. His bang covered part of his face. Whenever he exhaled, part of his blonde bang would float.

Link thought it was bothersome to him. He bent down and moved the bang that covered his face. He tucked in the golden strands behind Siegfried's ear. Link smiled then examined Siegfried's face. The rather large scar that was upon his right eye really stuck out. Link traced the scar with his finger which made Siegfried flinch a bit. Link retracted his finger from his scar and traced his cheek instead.

_His skin is sort of soft, _thought Link. Link caressed Siegfried's cheek softly. Subconsciously, the fallen German warrior face soon let out a smile as Link's touch was rather welcoming. Link smiled as then he traced over from Siegfried's cheek over to his lips. They were a little chaffed but Link didn't mind. Link didn't know why but he felt his face flush a bit. His eyes kept on Siegfried's lips. Link leaned in to get a closer look at this warrior.

_Wow, _thought Link, _he's rather beautiful. I wonder if men can be called beautiful. _Link played a bit with Siegfried's hair. He seemed much like a little child as he messed around with Siegfried's face. Link looked over at Siegfried's body and noticed quite a number of scars on his body. _I bet all of these are from battles. _

The Hero of Time placed his head upon Siegfried's chest. He giggled a bit as it rose up and went down. _He's so warm as well, _thought Link as he felt himself get drowsy. _I don't know why I'm so interested in learning about this man. _Link moved back towards Siegfried's face. He didn't notice how close he was to him until his nose was touching Siegfried's.

Link felt his heart suddenly begin to pound faster. He felt his entire face get hot. His entire stomach began to churn and he felt quite nervous right there and then. He felt as if some sort of magic came over him. Just then he heard the door open from his inn room. Link moved away from Siegfried and got to his bed. He sat down and saw Talim come in with an old woman carrying a sack behind her back.

"Link, I brought the healer," said Talim cheerfully.

"Thanks," replied Link with a smile.

The old woman walked over to Link. She looked over at his ears but then tried to not to question the reason. Without saying a word, the old woman signaled Link to take off his clothes. Link did what she motioned and stripped down to nothing. Talim looked away from the now naked man. The old woman took out a few herbs from her sack plus a small bowl and tool. She mashed up the herbs and made a strange potion. She applied the potion on Link's wounds.

Upon that cold touch, Link let out a small gasp. The old woman just slapped his leg, telling him to take it like a man. Once she was done applying the medicine, she took out some bandages and mended Link's body. He then grabbed his tights and put them on. The old woman signaled him to rest. Link laid on the bed, but looked over as the old woman began to undress Siegfried. The old woman then tended to all of Siegfried's wounds then dressed him. She walked over to Talim and placed a hand on her shoulder before she left.

"Oh, she's done now," said Talim.

"Yeah, she doesn't talk much, does she?" asked Link.

"No…according to her daughter, she had her tongue cut out by bandits one night."

"That's cruel…"

"There are worse things that happen in this world. How is your world?"

"My worlds…things out of the ordinary happen. I had to one day save my world from this man that wanted to rule it using the power from the Goddesses."

"Wow, it must be an interesting story. I'll listen to it once I come back from Ostrheinburg. I need to check up on what's going on over there. You should rest now."

"Yeah…that I should do."

"Oh and when I get back, I'll bring some food. I just hope that Nightmare will be awake."

"Okay, take care, Miss Talim."

"You too, Mr. Link."

Talim left the room once more and closed the door behind her. Link slowly closed his eyes and drifted into sleep. In his dream, he saw a green field around him. He remembered this field and he remembered the voices he heard in his dream. He looked forward and saw the familiar faces of his friends from Hyrule. They all came running through the field to see him.

Link felt his heart lift. He felt tears coming up to his eyes as he ran over to greet them. He yelled out their names as tears fell down his cheeks. It has been a long time since he's been in Hyrule. He missed all the people he had met and the place all together. Just then he saw a dark cloud appear behind his friends. He stopped running and looked at the cloud.

Hands soon appeared from the clouds. He heard a very dark and familiar laugh come from the clouds as the hands appeared right above Link's friends. Link started to yell for them to get out of the way, but his voice stopped working. He began to run towards them, but the hands gathered a dark energy. The dark energy soon consumed the bodies of Link's loved ones until they were no more.

_No….Zelda…Saria…Malon…Talon…Ruto…Darunia…Nabooru….Impa…everyone is gone, _thought Link as he fell into an abyss. _I couldn't save them…I couldn't do anything. _Link felt his entire body become weak. Just then he opened his eyes to someone shaking him. Talim was above Link's body with a concern look on her face. Next to her appeared to be Yun-seong and Seung Mina.

"You were having a bad dream," said Talim, "you were shaking and yelling out things in a strange language."

"Oh…" said Link, "I was having a nightmare. I dreamt about my home and everyone I knew back home. I saw them perish before my eyes."

Link let out a couple of coughs.

"Hmm," Talim placed a hand upon Link's forehead. "You have a temperature. He'll need us to take care of him and Nightmare for a while."

"You sure this is a good idea?" asked Seung Mina. "I mean no offence to him, but you really sure it's safe to be around him?"

"Yes…I'm sure of it."

"All right, if you say so. Then I guess we'll have to take care of them until they can take care of themselves, though this doesn't excuse you, Yun-seong from coming home with me."

"Damn, I thought you'd forget by now," whined Yun-seong.

"You have a lot to explain once we get home."

Yun-seong let out a face of disgust and hurt when he heard her say that. Talim tried not to giggle at the poor Korean. Link had to bit his lips a bit so he wouldn't laugh. Seung Mina then left the room to go get food for everyone. She beckoned Yun-seong to follow her to help out. Obediently, he followed her to help out with the food.

Talim began to make some medicine for Link's fever. She mashed up more herbs that were given to her by the old healer. She lifted Link's neck and head and gave him the medicine. He drank it and then lay back down on the bed. Talim took out a cloth and drenched it in water. She then placed the cloth on Link's forehead. Both of them heard something come from Siegfried. Siegfried let out a moan as he rolled on the bed. He slowly opened his eyes.

"Uh," he let out, "where am I?"

"Oh, you're awake now," said Talim as she walked over to Siegfried.

"Who are you?"

"Oh, I'm Talim. Link and I helped you get out from Ostrheinburg after you were knocked out."

"What happened?"

"Well you took the holy sword, the Soul Calibur and you pierced Soul Edge's eye with it."

Siegfried lifted his right arm. He was amazed to see that it was no longer that claw, but now his normal human arm. Siegfried let out a sigh of relief. _So it did work, _he thought, _I'm finally free from that accursed beast. Wait…the sword! Where's the sword?_Siegfried soon sat upright and tried to get out of bed. Talim quickly placed a hand upon his chest and tried to lower him down.

"You're in no condition to get up!" Shouted Talim.

"Get out of my way!" barked back Siegfried. "I have to go and get that accursed sword back! I have to purify it!"

"Don't worry about it, we hid the sword."

"Hid the sword? Where? Tell me where you hid that sword!"

"Don't shout at the girl," said Link as he was now standing up. He placed a hand on Siegfried's shoulder trying to pull him down.

"Who are you to tell me to not shout?" said Siegfried as he grasped tightly onto Link's arm.

"You can try to break my arm if you want…that would only prove that everyone thinking that you're still that monster Nightmare is true."

"Don't call me Nightmare!"

"Then prove you're not Nightmare."

Siegfried squeezed Link's arm one more time before he released him. He let out a snarl before he lay back on the bed. He rolled on the bed until his back was showing to Talim and Link. Link massaged his arm a bit. The area where Siegfried had grabbed him still stung a bit. Talim took a look at Link's arm, but Link assured her that he was okay. Link looked at Siegfried and frowned. _I guess even now, you're probably the same, _thought Link. _Or maybe…because you've been Nightmare for so long…you forgot who you really are._

**End Chapter. **

_I hope this story started out okay. Oh, btw about Yun-seong's name…I used the spelling from SC3 then Yunsung from SC2. Anyway, I hope people like this story._


	2. Chapter 2

_Hi! Thanks for all the lovely reviews and all. If you have questions about my fic and all and you're not on please make sure to leave me your email so I can answer them. That will make life easier. Anyway, there is more to come, so stay tune for the next chapters._

**Don't Let Me**

**Chapter Two: Lionhearted and Tenderhearted**

Seung Mina and Yun-seong had returned from getting some food. Of course, Seung Mina had made Yun-seong carry the food by himself. As part of his punishment for running away, Seung Mina promised to make his life quite a struggle until they get home. Then she would allow Hwang to take care of the rest.

"We're back!" piped Mina as she opened the door for her companion to walk by.

"Oh, good," replied Talim. "Did you have any trouble getting any food?"

"No, we just had a bit of trouble since Mr. Fussy over there can't handle a few sacks of food."

"They're not just a 'few sacks of food'," let out Yun-seong, "these are heavy. Jesus, Mina, what did you put in these things? Rocks?"

"Oh, quit complaining! You'll have more things to do once we get back home."

"Damn you…"

"Anyway, how are you feeling?" asked Mina as she looked at Link.

"I'm fine," replied Link as he stopped massaging his arm.

"Why is your arm like that? I thought the healer managed to fix you up. Did something happen to you?"

"No…nothing happened to me. I guess the healer forgot to see this."

Link smiled to reassure Mina of his situation. Upon hearing that, Siegfried's sapphire eyes opened widely. _Someone took the blame for me? _he thought. _What's his catch? He has to want something if he protected me like that. _Siegfried's face just scowled as he pretended to ignore them. Link's eyes slowly landed upon Siegfried's figure then back to the food that Mina had brought them.

"It looks rather good," said Link as he eyed the chicken.

"Grab as much as you want," said Mina, "Yun-seong will get more if you need any."

Yun-seong just gave Mina a glare.

"I would, but first, we should ask him over there," said Link as he pointed to Siegfried.

Once Link had said that, Mina stood quiet. Yun-seong's glare softened as he turned away. Talim cleared her throat a bit as she shuffled her feet. The silence just told Link that none of the others did have the courage to ask the German warrior if he wanted anything to eat. Link summed up his courage and began to walk towards Siegfried.

"Hey," he spoke softly, "are you hungry?"

"Not really," replied Siegfried as he didn't bother to move from his spot.

"Are you sure? I am not too sure if you ate anything and I…"

"I said 'not really!'"

Just then a growl rose up from Siegfried's stomach.

"You're lying," said Link, "you have to eat something."

"What if I don't want to!" snarled Siegfried as he rolled on the bed and glared at Link.

"Then I'll just have to wait until you do." Link glared back.

"Listen here and listen well," growled Siegfried as he got out from his bed. "I don't care what you do, as long as it doesn't involve me."

"I'm sorry," replied Link, "but I can't do that. I can't let you suffer like this, Night…" Link stopped himself before he could finish the sentence.

"What…were you going to call me?" asked Siegfried as he glared at Link with a dark stare.

"I…I don't know what to call you…"

"Pathetic elfin freak," said the German warrior, "you're just as ignorant as the others. Yet there is no need to tell you my name. I'm leaving and heading off myself to get Soul Edge."

"Why do you want to get that thing!" shouted Link. "It's the thing that nearly killed you, wasn't it? Why would you want to go back and get that thing?"

"Because…" spoke Siegfried in a dark and calm manner, "you wouldn't understand the chaos that sword can bring if it fell into the wrong hands."

"If you're the only one that can handle it, you should wait until you're fully healed. That way you can be stronger than the sword and not fall for its dark power again."

Siegfried stood silent. His back was still turned on Link, but once the elf had stopped talking, Siegfried slowly turned around. His dark sapphire eyes fell down on the frail form of the Hylian hero. Everyone around the room stood still as they looked at what the German warrior was going to do next. What happened next surprised everyone.

"What is there to eat?" asked Siegfried.

Link's face beamed with happiness as he gave out a soft smile. Siegfried looked down at the warm smile and felt rather embarrassed. He turned away from the elf and pretended not to see the soft smile. Link got the hint and began to make his way over to Seung Mina. He took up the sack from her hands and walked over to Siegfried.

"Well," said Link, "we have quite a few things to eat here. We have this meat and some bread and a couple of fruits. What do you want?"

"I'll take whatever," replied the German warrior, "as long as it's edible."

"Let's see….I think you'd want a hardy meal and all."

Siegfried didn't reply. Link reached inside of the sack and pulled out a turkey leg. He offered it to the German warrior, who grabbed it. Siegfried took down a huge bite out from the leg and ate silently. Link took out an apple and began to eat it vigilantly. The other three warriors slowly walked out from the room, out from the inn, and began to make their way to the pub in front of the inn.

Yun-seong opened the door to the pub and led the ladies in. Inside of the pub were drunken men, loose women, and a couple of people stuffing their faces. The smell of alcohol and sex filled the pub. Yun-seong's face scrunched up, but he tried to ignore the smell. Talim, on the other hand, felt very uncomfortable to be around in this area.

Seung Mina placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder and smiled at her. Talim smiled back a bit. Just then a rather large man walked up to the ladies. His stomach was round and pudgy and stuck out from his pants. Hairs covered his navel which made it look rather grotesque. His face was rather greasy and a strange smell emitted from his entire body.

"Hey there," he slurred, "how much for a night with you women?"

"I beg your pardon?" asked Talim.

"How much do you want to fuck with me?"

"I'm not a harlot. Just please, leave me alone."

"Sorry, but you are quite the innocent one. Innocent ones turn me on." The drunk man took a hold of Talim's wrist.

"Let go of me!" shouted Talim.

"I guess you are for free."

"Let her go!" shouted Seung Mina as she slapped the man.

"Shut up, bitch!" shouted the drunk man as he slapped Mina hard enough to make her fall down.

"Is there a problem?" asked Yun-seong as he appeared before the man.

"It's none of your business, you brat."

"Oh, you're handling with my friends, so that does make it my business."

"Listen you little piece of shi-"

Just then Yun-seong let out a punch to the man's face. The drunken man spit out a tooth followed by blood before he fell down to the ground. Just as the bartender was about to say something all of the sudden, a random man from nowhere punched another random guy and started a chain reaction of fights. In the mist of the fight, Yun-seong took a hold of Mina and Talim. All three warriors hid behind the counter where they waited for the fights to subside.

"You guys are such trouble makers," said the bartender.

"We're sorry for this," said Talim.

"Eh, forget about it. Every now and then someone starts out with some shit like this."

"So, is it okay for us to wait it out?" asked Yun-seong.

"It's fine with me, as long as you protect me. Last time, one drunk came over here with a broken bottle to my face."

"What happened?" asked Mina.

"The man was too tipsy to hold himself up that he just fell over and passed out."

It took them a while, but all four people began to let out a laugh. The fight raged on with blood flying through the air, men breaking chairs on their head, and finally the ones that passed out. The sounds of fighting flew through the air and reached the inn. The sounds were a bit faint, but both Siegfried and Link were able to hear them. Upon hearing that noise, Siegfried's eyes harden as he stared at the door. Link stood on edge as he took his bow and arrow and waited.

Both warriors stood ready to fight anything for about fifteen minutes. When nothing happened, both of them began to relax as they lowered their weapons. Siegfried let out a mixture between a sigh and a growl, which startled Link a bit. He relaxed as he saw his companion go back to eating the turkey leg he had. Link let out a soft giggle. _This guy reminds me of that earth beast known as a lion, _he thought. _I think it's either the hair or the fact that he growls like one._

Link had never seen a lion until he had traveled through parts of this world. When his eyes saw a beautiful lion behind this cage, his sapphire eyes beamed with curiosity and excitement. He had never seen such a beautiful creature before. When he tried to touch it, the owner told him that a lion had the power to rip him to shreds.

Surprisingly, Siegfried reminded Link so much of that lion. So beautiful and strong, yet he could see the comparison of both. Both were trapped in some sort of a cage and wished to be free. That's why behind the cold stare, Link could sense a hint of sadness. The elfin youth didn't notice that he was now staring at the German warrior and it made him rather suspicious.

"Is there something wrong?" asked Siegfried. "Or am I offending you?"

"Oh!" let out Link as he finally realized what he was doing. "I'm sorry…I was just thinking."

"Hmph…"

"I'm sorry if it really did offend you."

"You don't have to be sorry…"

"Really? I mean…I feel like I'm annoying you and all."

"Actually," said Siegfried, "you are."

"Oh…" Link frowned at the comment.

"However, I can tolerate it."

"Thanks," Link let out a soft smile.

Siegfried looked at Link and questioned himself about the elf.

"You're welcome," he replied.

For a while, both warriors stood in silence once more. None knew what to say to each other and none knew what to do. Link's sapphire eyes slowly moved up from his hand over to Siegfried's body. His eyes landed upon the German warrior's face. Just then, Siegfried's eyes landed upon Link's own. Both stared at each other for a while. Link felt his blood rush up to his face. A blush appeared upon his face.

"Um," said Link as he tried to break the silence. "I wanted to ask you something….but I wasn't sure if I should."

"What is it?" asked Siegfried.

"Listen," Link got up from the bed, "I know you probably wouldn't want to talk to me of all people, and I know you wouldn't want to talk about what happened, but I must know. Please….can you tell me about Soul Edge? You see, I'm not from this world. I came from a place far away from here. In fact I don't know where it is. I was sent here to find and destroy Soul Edge. Now that, that's done, I have no use to be here anymore, yet I'm afraid I can't get home. I was wondering….if you'd know anything about Soul Edge's power."

"Hmph," replied Siegfried, "just because I was Nightmare, doesn't mean I know everything about Soul Edge. Back when I was Nightmare, I wasn't myself. Another entity entered my body and took over it. My will and my soul couldn't do anything. I was trapped inside of my subconscious. At times I was awake to see what monstrosities Nightmare was doing, yet I couldn't do anything to stop it.

"I do know some powers of Soul Edge. Those that carry ambitions, even if they are pure hearted, will slowly fall into madness and soon, Soul Edge takes over your body and your mind. There is nothing you can do once it is done. Only one with a strong will, will you be able to overpower Nightmare, at least for a time being. When I had enough strength, I stopped myself from killing that Frenchman and stopped Soul Edge. However, I might not be so lucky anymore."

"If Soul Edge was able to control your body," said the Hylian hero, "why do you want it back?"

"Because," responded Siegfried, "Soul Edge isn't destroyed completely. It is still there: just that Soul Calibur just neutralized it. Both powers opposed each other: therefore, they cancelled each other out. The evil entity known as Nightmare isn't inside that sword, but I fear that it may come back one day. I have to be strong enough to stop it."

"You're different from what people have said about you. All I heard were tales about a monster known as Nightmare. He killed without remorse and no mercy for human lives. Yet, when I see you, all I see is a man with remorse."

"All the tales of Nightmare are true. Nightmare killed without any remorse, mercy, or love for human lives. I, however, am not Nightmare."

"Then," said Link as he let out a small smile play on his lips, "who are you? I don't know what to call you or anything. I don't know the real you."

"I used to be a knight," said Siegfried softly, "I used to be one of the best knights in Germany. My father…he was a knight as well. I go by the name of Siegfried Schtauffen."

"Sieg…fried Sch…tuaffen?" Link tried to pronounce his name without stuttering or anything.

"Yes," said the warrior.

"It is an odd name," said Link, "yet it sounds rather nice."

"What is your name then?" asked the German warrior.

"My name is Link."

"Link what?"

"Just Link…I never had a surname."

"I see….a peasant?"

"Yeah….plus orphan."

"Hmm…"

"Um," said Link softly, "what about you? I know it's not my place to talk about things….but do you remember the ones that took care of you?"

"The ones that took care of me?" asked Siegfried.

Siegfried stopped eating for a moment then looked up at the ceiling. His memory was a bit fuzzy, but he remembered seeing a faint figure. _A warm smile fell upon the lips of the figure as it stretched out a soft arm towards his face. Siegfried could still feel the warmth of the soft skin of his mother. Her soft emerald colored eyes shimmered as she felt nothing more than motherly love for her son. Next to her stood__a lean looking man. His sharp blonde hair and dark blue eyes were cold and stern, much like Siegfried's own. _

"Yes," replied the German warrior, "I remember them. I was born into a family of a knight. My father was a reformed knight turned farmer once he married my mother. I was their only child. Father taught me how to fight, but I created my own style after I was able to wield a sword. I remember my mother's soft, sweet skin. She would often hold me when I would have a nightmare and lulled me to sleep."

"Reminds me of Saria…" replied Link. "I never had a mother…but I was raised for a bit by Saria. She was my best friend, but fate had a way with us and so we never saw each other again after an unfortunate incident."

"Did she die?"

"No….it was something else."

"I see…"

"So…was there anyone else?"

"Yes…my father. My father was a strong man. People always said that when I would grow up, I'd look like him, but with my mother's soft face. My father taught me everything I know but…"

"But?" asked Link.

Siegfried's eyes soon turned to stone as he remembered that unfortunate night. _He could feel the fires next to his body. He let out a laugh--no--it was Nightmare that let out that horrible cackle that sent a chill down his opponent's spines. His claw then took a hold of Frederick's, Siegfried's father, head. Blood fell from Frederick's mouth as he glared at Nightmare._

"_Siegfried…" coughed Frederick, "why are you doing this?"_

_"Heh," cackled Nightmare, "you truly believe that I'm your son? I am the spirit of Soul Edge and I love your son's body very much. He has such unusual strength for being such a young man. You have served your purpose….now it's time for you to become part of one of the greatest thing in the world: Soul Edge. Your strong soul will feed its hunger."_

"_Siegfried…please wake up. Siegfried…."_

_Siegfried…._

_Siegfried…_

"Siegfried?" asked Link as he looked at the German warrior with much concern.

"Hmm?" let out Siegfried as he looked at Link.

"You looked like you were lost…what was happening?"

"Nothing…." replied the blond as he looked away, "nothing happened."

Link wasn't reassured about that. He could tell by looking at his companion that something was wrong with him that he wasn't willing to share. _Did something happen to his father? _he thought. _He seems like he regrets something. Unless….he killed his own father? Did he really do that? He didn't seem to be hurt when he spoke about his mother. _

Link slowly got up from his bed and began to make his way over to Siegfried. The German warrior didn't bother to look up at elf. However when he felt a soft hand touch his shoulder, Siegfried slowly looked up at the elf. Link's face was soft and tender. His soft blue eyes were quite stunning and mesmerizing. He had never seen anything so soft in his life.

Link's mouth parted a bit as he looked into Siegfried's blue eyes. Behind the ice layer that was before him, there was a soft blue haven behind them. Link felt a strange burning feeling arise in his body. His cheeks burned and his heart began to race a bit. For them, it was as if time itself had stopped for them. Link's soft hand trailed from Siegfried's shoulder and over to his face. He cupped his cheek. Link bent down to examine the warrior's façade.

Siegfried was amazed about two things. One was the fact that Link was getting close to him without any hint of fear or hatred for him. The other was the fact that Siegfried hadn't pushed away the elfin youth by now. His body completely froze as he first felt the soft hand upon his cheek. He could feel his heart begin to race as well.

Siegfried's face was only mere inches away from Link's face. Siegfried could feel Link's hot breath upon his lips as the elf breathed in softly. The blood in Siegfried's body began to rush through his body. His heart was really pounding as he felt himself close his sapphire eyes. Link moved over to Siegfried's eye and lightly placed a soft kiss upon his scar. Siegfried recoiled a bit.

"Why?" asked the German man. "Why did you do that?"

"I don't know," replied Link, "it just happened."

"If you value your life," said Siegfried softly, "you'd refrain from doing that again."

Link moved a bit away to look into Siegfried's eyes. His sapphire eyes remained cold and stoic.

"Did I offend you?" asked Link.

"No," replied Siegfried, "you didn't offend me."

"Do I repulse you then? Do you wish for me to go? Because I shall go to leave you be."

"It's all right….just please, don't get close to me. Nothing good would come out of being around me. That is why I have to leave you all before something would happen."

"Please," the elf spoke softly, "don't leave….stay for a while."

"I doubt your friends would want me around any longer. I don't wish to be a burden any longer."

"You're not a burden or anything…"

"Look at me!" snarled Siegfried as he grasped Link's wrist. "I'm a monster! Thanks to Soul Edge I am marked as a monster! Do you wish to have the burden of being close to a monster?"

"You're not a monster," said Link, "unless you let it be."

Siegfried's strength had managed to bring Link down to his knees. The German warrior hovered over the Hylian hero as he glared at him. Link felt a breath of doom creep down his spine. He felt that he should be afraid of the man before him, but instead he didn't feel it. Link just looked back at Siegfried with the soft eyes he had before.

Their faces were still rather close. Their lips were just mere inches away from each other. The grip that Siegfried had on Link loosened a bit. Siegfried closed his eyes a bit as he leaned in a bit and connected their lips together. Link's eyes were wide open as he felt the rather rough, chapped lips of the German warrior. Link slowly closed his eyes and kissed back.

Siegfried slowly brought his hand up and grabbed Link's short blond hair. Link brought up his arms and tied them around Siegfried's neck. Heat rushed through both their bodies as they continued to kiss. The soft hands from Link sent a chill down Siegfried's spine as they touched his bare skin. Slowly, the German warrior brought Link down to the floor, without breaking the kiss.

He placed one leg in between Link's legs and began to caress the elf's side. Link let out a soft moan as he felt the rough hand upon his skin. Just then, someone knocked on the door. In that instant, Siegfried pushed Link away from him and looked away. Link felt a bit hurt about the current action. However, what happened between them gave the elf a warm feeling and a rush through his body.

"Forget what I did," Siegfried said flatly.

"Why?" asked Link as he felt a bit hurt by the comment.

"Just forget what happened. What happened between us never did happen and will never happen again. If you are wise, you'd keep your distance from me."

Before Link could protest, the door to their room had opened. Siegfried had managed to get up from the floor and get on his bed. Link quickly got up from the floor and sat on his bed. In a moment, Mina, Yun-seong, and Talim walked inside. Yun-seong looked rather roughed up, but nothing too bad. The other girls seemed to be okay. Link let out a small smile at them as they greeted each other.

"So, what happened?" asked Link.  
"A crazy fight spread out in the pub," said Mina, "we were stuck, so we had to use Yun-seong as protection here."

"You're evil, did you know that?" asked Yun-seong as he glared at the older woman.

"I'm just glad that you're okay, Yun-seong," said Talim. "Do you need to be healed?"  
"Huh?" let out Yun-seong. An idea had managed to hit his mind as he let out a fake yelp. "Ow! I think that last hit really hurt my arm and all. I might need some tender loving carering." Yun-seong let out a small grin before he changed back to his hurt face.

"Okay, I'll bring you some medicine over to your room and I'll mend you from there."

Mina just let out a sigh and rolled her eyes. She could see through his ruse, but decided not to say anything. _Let's see how far he gets with her, _she thought. _I doubt it can be really far: however, this might be something worth watching. _Talim then looked over at Siegfried and Link and noticed how silent they were. Concern grew with the young woman.

"Link," she said softly, "something wrong?"

"Oh, nothing is wrong," said Link.

"You sure? I can feel some sort of a sadness aura around you….as well as confusion."

"I guess it's because I'm homesick that's all."

"Okay."

Talim's brown eyes looked over at Siegfried. Siegfried's sapphire eyes looked over at Link then quickly turned his view away from the blond elf. Talim wasn't sure of what was going on, but she could get a bit of a hint that it had something to do with the both of them. Thinking that it was wise, Talim didn't pursue the manner anymore.

"Anyway, I hope you guys are feeling okay," said Talim.

"I feel a bit better," said Siegfried, "can you please take me to Soul Edge?"

"We can't…not until you feel better. I know you're still in hurt…I can see it in your face."

"I may be in hurt, but I can withstand it. I don't wish to burden you all anymore. It is best if I take the sword and leave."

"How do we know that you won't use the sword anymore with its power?" asked Yun-seong.

Siegfried just shot Yun-seong a glare.

"You don't have to trust me," he replied, "I don't expect any of you to trust me. After all….I am a monster to you all."

Mina, Yun-seong, and Talim remained quiet about the situation.

"I really don't think you're a monster," said Link softly. "I've told you that before….but I guess having someone like me telling you that isn't good enough…"

"Link?" asked Talim.

Siegfried didn't reply. He just looked away and then laid on his bed. _Just a couple of more days, _he thought. _Then I shall be out of here and continue my journey. I can't allow myself to drag them with me or get close to them. _Siegfried slowly moved his hand to his lip and touched them softly. _Stupid kid…what was he thinking? Or better yet, what was I thinking?_

Link slowly lay back down on his bed and turned his back to Siegfried. Link bit down on his own lip and tried to hold back a single tear that dared to fall down his cheek. He could still feel the warm of Siegfried's lips upon his. When they kissed, Link felt his heart flutter, but when Siegfried told him to deny what happened, something broke in the elf.

_What am I feeling? _asked Link. _Why do I feel like I'm breaking? When Siegfried kissed me…I felt such a sensation, but now….I just feel the cold. _A bit of blood trickled down his lips and landed upon the pillow. Link released his hold on his lips and licked the blood off. The metallic taste of it, made the elf wince. He closed his eyes and began to sleep.

**End Chapter. **

_I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I did a lot of work for it. _


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